Hydrogen supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019009209-A1
Application number	US-201816009517-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2018
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Jan 10, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydrogen supply system includes: a controller; and an electrochemical hydrogen pump including: an electrolyte membrane; a pair of electrodes provided on two surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and a current adjuster adjusting a current flowing between the electrodes, the electrochemical hydrogen pump performs a hydrogen supply operation supplying pressure-boosted hydrogen to a hydrogen demander by allowing a current to flow between the electrodes by the current adjuster; and when a cumulative hydrogen supply amount which is supplied to the hydrogen demander from start to completion of the hydrogen supply operation to the hydrogen demander from the electrochemical hydrogen pump is smaller than a cumulative hydrogen supply amount in another hydrogen supply operation, the controller controls the current adjuster so that the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased to be smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hydrogen supply system comprising:
a controller; and an electrochemical hydrogen pump including:
an electrolyte membrane;
a pair of electrodes provided on two surfaces of the electrolyte membrane; and
a current adjuster adjusting a current flowing between the electrodes,
the electrochemical hydrogen pump performs a hydrogen supply operation supplying pressure-boosted hydrogen to a hydrogen demander by allowing a current to flow between the electrodes by the current adjuster; and when a cumulative hydrogen supply amount which is supplied to the hydrogen demander from start to completion of the hydrogen supply operation to the hydrogen demander from the electrochemical hydrogen pump is smaller than a cumulative hydrogen supply amount in another hydrogen supply operation, the controller controls the current adjuster so that the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased to be smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation.

2 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller predicts the cumulative hydrogen supply amount in the hydrogen supply operation based on a past record of the cumulative hydrogen supply amount, and when the predicted cumulative hydrogen supply amount is smaller than the cumulative hydrogen supply amount in the another hydrogen supply operation, the controller controls the current adjuster so that the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation.

3 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls the current adjuster so that the cumulative hydrogen supply amount required in an operable time of the hydrogen supply operation of the electrochemical hydrogen pump is supplied to the hydrogen demander and so that a time in which the current flowing between the electrodes is controlled smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation is maximized in the operable time.

4 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrogen reservoir storing hydrogen to be supplied from the electrochemical hydrogen pump; and a pressure detector detecting the pressure in the hydrogen reservoir, wherein the controller estimates a hydrogen storage amount in the hydrogen reservoir from the pressure detected by the pressure detector.

5 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature detector detecting the temperature of the electrochemical hydrogen pump, wherein the controller controls the current flowing between the electrodes by adjusting the current adjuster so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector does not exceed an upper limit temperature.

6 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature detector detecting the temperature of the electrochemical hydrogen pump; and a cooling device for the electrochemical hydrogen pump, wherein the controller operates the cooling device so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector does not exceed an upper limit temperature.

7 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature detector detecting the temperature of the electrochemical hydrogen pump; and a cooling device for the electrochemical hydrogen pump, wherein the controller controls an operation of the cooling device and the operation of the electrochemical hydrogen pump so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector does not exceed an upper limit temperature and so as to minimize the total of electric energy required for the operation of the cooling device and electric energy required for the operation of the electrochemical hydrogen pump.

8 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display device displaying a supply rate of hydrogen to be supplied from the hydrogen supply system, the cumulative hydrogen supply amount, and a time required for the hydrogen supply operation.

9 . The hydrogen supply system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an acquisition device acquiring an instruction of canceling the control by the controller in which the current flowing between the electrodes is decreased smaller than that in the another hydrogen supply operation by controlling the current adjuster in the hydrogen supply operation.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ukai Kunihiro
• Sakai Osamu
• Okaichi Atsuo

Classifications

• B01D53/326 Primary

  in electrochemical cells · CPC title

• C01B3/503

  characterised by membranes · CPC title

• C01B2203/0405

  Purification by membrane separation · CPC title

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title